Rover

Is Rover worth it for pet sitters and dog walkers?

It depends mostly on how soon you need income and what you expect the Rover Guarantee to cover. For what the work itself pays, see dog walking and pet sitting.

How much Rover takes from your pay

Rover's service fee comes out of each booking rather than as an upfront charge. The owner service fee is added to the client's bill, so it doesn't come out of your rate, though it does raise what owners pay. California works differently: owners pay Rover's fee on top, and the rate you set is what you take home.

The calculator uses $22 as an example price. That is the average drop-in visit price in Rover's national cat-sitting guide, an undated Rover figure. The 30-minute visit length is also an example. It applies the 20% fee, so add your own travel time and costs.

How and when Rover pays you

Rover releases each booking's pay two days after the service, and Stripe can take up to five more business days to reach your bank, so plan on about a week between finishing a job and spending the money. Payouts require a Social Security number and a bank account via Stripe. Tips are added to your account within 24 hours of the client's tip.

Rover requirements and how long approval takes

Rover's terms say you certify you are at least 18 or the age of majority where you live, whichever is higher. Providers must be legally eligible and hold any needed licenses or permits where they work. Rover's sitter FAQ says sitters and walkers are independent contractors, not employees.

Onboarding covers a safety quiz, profile, service setup, background check and identity verification. Rover says profile review takes 10-20 business days, with an email on approval. Services become visible only after both approval and a passed background check.

First Advantage runs the background check. It confirms citizenship/SSN, driving record and criminal history, and credit is not included. U.S. sitters need a full legal name with middle name and a Social Security number. Rover's enhanced check adds a sex offender registry search, a national criminal database search and county court records by address history. Rover says its checks have limits, because records can be incomplete and rely on information applicants submit. In Los Angeles County, approval is contingent on successful completion and Rover review of criminal history. The terms add that Rover may obtain consumer reports throughout your engagement, not only at sign-up.

The terms also say providers may be charged a non-refundable profile review fee at sign-up. The amount is not stated there, and Rover's help pages don't mention one.

How much you can make on Rover

Rover doesn't publish average monthly earnings with a sample, a method or a date, and no independent dataset measures them. What Rover does publish is marketing. It says Austin sitters can earn up to $3,300 a month or more and repeats a generic $1,000 a month or more. For Tampa, Rover says $1,000 a month or more, and twice as much for boarding sitters.

The $29.21 Austin figure is a nightly rate, not monthly earnings. A rate says nothing about how many bookings you get. Subtract Rover's fee (20% outside California) and your unpaid travel and messaging time before you judge pay. The hourly earnings guide shows how.

Can Rover deactivate your account?

Yes. Rover's account action policy, last updated Dec 30, 2024, allows a pause, temporary suspension or permanent closure. Intentionally avoiding Rover's service fees is listed as grounds. If a client pays you directly, Rover says the booking is not covered by the Guarantee or 24/7 support and both parties may be suspended.

The Rover Guarantee caps vet-cost reimbursement at $25,000 per occurrence in the U.S. You pay a $250 minimum contribution toward injury to your own pet, and requests below it get no reimbursement. Claims must be reported by phone or email during the booking or within 48 hours. Costs incurred more than 30 days after an injury are excluded. The Guarantee does not cover injuries to sitters or owners, so a bite to you is not reimbursed by it. Meet & Greets and services not booked and paid through Rover are also excluded. Rover describes the Guarantee as a reimbursement program mainly meant to protect pets, not a substitute for your own liability insurance.

Is Rover legit?

Rover was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Seattle. A Form 8-K reproduced by MarketScreener describes A Place for Rover, Inc., its operating entity, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rover Group, Inc. On Nov 29, 2023, an SEC filing announced an agreement to be acquired by Blackstone at $11.00 per share in cash.

In Sportsman v. A Place for Rover, a California class action alleged Rover misclassified sitters and walkers as independent contractors. Bloomberg Law reported on Jul 19, 2023 that a federal judge approved a $23.5 million settlement ($18 million cash and $5.5 million in future benefits) covering 88,704 class members. A settlement is not a finding of liability. Earlier, on Oct 20, 2022, the operating entity agreed to an $18.0 million settlement in the same case, covering California providers since November 2018.

Scams that use Rover's name

Rover's security page lists these patterns:

The FTC says no legitimate employer sends a check to deposit and asks you to send part on, and lists nanny, caregiver and virtual assistant ads among those that use this trick. It also says fake checks can take weeks to be discovered, leaving you to repay the bank. See how to spot side-hustle scams.

Taxes on Rover income

Rover's sitter FAQ says sitters and walkers are independent contractors, not employees. Rover's tax page says sitters with more than 200 transactions and $20,000 in processed payments in 2025 get a 1099-K, and that your state may send one at a lower threshold. The 1099-K doesn't show your net earnings, so Rover posts a 1099-K summary in your account each January. Income counts whether or not a form arrives. The IRS gig economy page covers reporting and self-employment tax.

Rover vs other pet care apps

Rover and Taskrabbit publish their fees and payout timing. Most of Wag's figures come from third-party reports, and on Care.com families pay you directly, so there's no platform fee to compare. The pet care category has more options.